Daulatabad Fort

Daulatabad Fort, about 15 km northwest of Aurangabad, rises 200 metres above the Deccan plateau on a sheer-sided conical hill and is widely considered the most ingeniously defended fort in India. Originally called Devagiri, it was built by the Yadava dynasty in the 12th century and later became the short-lived capital of the Delhi Sultanate under Muhammad bin Tughluq. Its concentric moats, rock-cut scarp, pitch-dark spiralling tunnel with iron spikes, and a cannon called Mendha at the summit made it essentially unconquerable. The views from the top take in Aurangabad, Ellora and the surrounding plains.